Fairfax County Board of Supervisors

Connolly's career as a public official began on March 28, 1995, when he won a special election for the Providence District seat on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, defeating Republican Jeannemarie A. Devolites.[4] A rematch against Devolites in November of that same year saw Connolly reelected to a full four-year term on the Board.[5] Connolly ran unopposed for re-election in November 1999. In 2003, he was elected Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and was reelected in 2007.

As Chairman of the ten-member board, Connolly balanced a $4.5 billion budget and managed a county that, based on size, would make it the nation's thirteenth-largest city, twelfth-largest school district, and sixth-largest office market. He served as Chairman of the County's Legislative Committee and Vice-Chair of the Economic Advisory Committee. Connolly also served as Chairman of the Board of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC), Chairman of the Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC), and was chairman of the Board of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG). He also chaired the region's Emergency Preparedness Taskforce and represented Fairfax County on the Board of the Virginia Association of Counties (VaCo), where he also served as president.

U.S. House of Representatives

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Caucus Memberships

Congressional Arts Caucus

Congressional Cloud Computing Caucus (co-chair)

Congressional Cement Caucus

Legislation sponsored

Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (H.R. 1232; 113th Congress) As the ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Connolly co-sponsored this bill with Darrell Issa. It is a proposed bill that would make changes and reforms to the current framework that manages how the federal government buys new technology.[6] One of the requirements would be that the government develop a streamlined plan for its acquisitions.[7] The bill would increase the power of existing Chief Information Officers (CIO) within federal agencies so that they could be more effective.[8] Each agency would also be reduced to having only one CIO in the agency, who is then responsible for the success and failure of all IT projects in that agency.[9] The bill would also require the federal government to make use of private sector best practices.[8] The bill is intended to reduce IT procurement related waste.[10] Explaining the bill, Connolly said that "there are more than 250 identified CIOs in the federal government, yet none possess the necessary authority to effectively manage IT investments" which has "resulted in duplicative and wasteful IT spending."[8] It passed the House in a voice vote on February 25, 2014.[7]

Government Reports Elimination Act of 2014 (H.R. 4194; 113th Congress) As the ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Connolly co-sponsored this bill with Darrell Issa. It is a proposed bill that would eliminate approximately 100 required federal agency reports that are considered redundant or wasteful.[11] Connolly argued that "in today's challenging fiscal environment, it is incumbent that we leverage every opportunity to streamline or eliminate antiquated agency reporting requirements that are duplicative, irrelevant or simply ignored."[12] The bill passed in the House in a voice vote on April 28, 2014.[13]

Political positions

Abortion

Connolly is Pro-Choice.[14] He voted against the Stupak Amendment to the Affordable Care Act, which placed stringent limits on health insurance companies offering abortion services. During the budget amendments process in 2011, he voted against an amendment that would have prevented taxpayer funds from going to Planned Parenthood.[15]

Civil liberties

Connolly has voted for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 regarding funding the US Armed Forces, including the paychecks delivered to soldiers but also including a controversial provision that allows the government and the military to detain anyone "who was part of or substantially supported al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or associated forces that are engaged in hostilities against the United States or its coalition partners", and anyone who commits a "belligerent act" against the United States or its coalition allies in aid of such enemy forces, under the law of war, "without trial, until the end of the hostilities authorized by the Authorization of Use of Military Force." The law would not grant new powers to the President but it does codify federal court rulings on this issue and the detainment of unlawful combatants until hostilities are over is in accordance to the Geneva Conventions.[16][17]

He was a cosponsor of pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) budget legislation that was signed into law in February 2010.[31]

In May, 2011, Connolly voted to increase the debt ceiling, but the measure failed by a significant margin.[32] It was his third such vote.[33]

Energy

Connolly voted in favor of the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009,[34] saying it would strengthen national security while spurring innovation in the energy industry.[35] In 2010, he voted in favor of ending a moratorium on deepwater drilling rigs that met certain safety standards.[36] Connolly is one of the 35 congressmen who founded the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition.[37]

LGBT issues

Connolly supports gay rights, having campaigned against the Marshall-Newman Amendment to the Virginia Constitution, which banned all gay unions from being performed or recognized in Virginia.[38] In Congress, he voted in favor of repealing the contentious "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law that prohibited gays from serving openly in the military, and has co-sponsored a few bills that would repeal portions of the Federal Defense of Marriage Act.[39]

Guns

While on the Board of Supervisors for Fairfax County, Connolly sponsored an ordinance that would have made it illegal to transport a loaded shotgun in the back of one's car.[40] In Congress, Connolly signed onto a measure that would have closed the gun show loophole by requiring that private sellers of firearms at gun shows engage in the same background check and reporting requirements as registered firearms dealers.[41] Connolly opposes allowing concealed weapons in schools and on college campuses.[42]

In November, 2011, Connolly voted against the National Right to Carry Reciprocity Act, which would have exempted non-residents of states that prohibit concealed weapons from those restrictions.[43]

Syria

Political campaigns

2008

Connolly scored a 24-point victory over his closest opponent former Congresswoman Leslie L. Byrne in the 2008 Democratic Primary. Connolly then defeated Republican nominee Keith Fimian by more than ten points for the open seat held by Republican incumbent Tom Davis.[51] The Independent Green Party candidate on the ballot was Joseph P. Oddo.

2010

Connolly was challenged again by Fimian in 2010. Also running were Libertarian David L. Dotson, Independent Green David William Gillis, Jr., and Independent Christopher F. DeCarlo. Connolly barely survived by fewer than a thousand votes.[52]

2012

Connolly was challenged by Republican nominee Chris Perkins, Green nominee Joe Galdo and independent candidates Peter Marchetti, Chris DeCarlo and Mark Gibson. He received 61% of the vote.[53] Connolly was significantly aided by redistricting. The old 11th had been reckoned as a swing district, though Davis had held it without serious difficulty due to his popularity in the area. However, redistricting made the 11th significantly more Democratic than its predecessor. Barack Obama carried the old 11th with 57% of the vote in 2008, but would have carried it with 61% of the vote under the new lines--making it one of the most Democratic white-majority districts in the South.

Personal life

Connolly and his wife Cathy have lived in Mantua since 1979. Their daughter is a graduate of University of Virginia. Gerry serves on the Boards of Directors for Fairfax Partnership for Youth, the American Red Cross of the National Capital Area, the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Washington Initiative Board of Trustees, the Medical Care for Children Partnership, the Institute for Regional Excellence, and the University of Virginia - Virginia Institute of Government. He previously served as president of the Mantua Citizens Association (MCA) president and two terms as president of the Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations.

Developed Strategies and Processes that Enabled Brands to Grow During an Economic Downturn.

Taught Advanced Internet Marketing Strategies at the graduate level.

Manage research, learning and skills at defaultLogic. Create an account using LinkedIn or facebook to manage and organize your IT knowledge. defaultLogic works like a shopping cart for information -- helping you to save, discuss and share.

Manage research, learning and skills at defaultLogic. Create an account using LinkedIn or facebook to manage and organize your IT knowledge. defaultLogic works like a shopping cart for information -- helping you to save, discuss and share.